Do any of you other IBS sufferers have a painful colon? I mean, thats what it feels like atleast.. on my left side, i feel a tender spot, not like on my outside, but on my inside. It's on the left side kinda lowish on my upper abdomen... according to pictures there's pretty much a curve of the colon right there. When i for example stretch, i can feel the colon kind of stretch and just feel icky..and painful.

Also from the same spot all troug hthe day originates these weird gurgling sounds and if i hold my hand on it i can feel them too. I am assuming this is gas, perhaps? But it has lasted for days now and i have passed gas multiple times, is it possible there's still gas stuck permanently in one spot even though it otherwise passes trough me?

No, it wouldn't be permanent. I know what you are talking about because I get this frequently almost exactly as you described. It is gas but not the same bubble. No one has been able to figure it out for me, been going on for years. Usually, I have to take a mild laxative, like one Dulcolax and that breaks it up. Try to stay away from gassy foods, soft drinks and things like that. Also, try some of the over the counter gas meds that have Simethicone in them like Gas-X or the drug store brand. Try stretching and lying on different sides in bed. This all helps me but the mild lax works the best. It doesn't send me running but it gets everything moving.

But I firmly believe it's best to prevent it from happening. Meaning, keep a food journal/diary of all the foods you eat. If you notice a specific food or beverage gives you gas (examples might be: beer, broccoli, cabbage, eating your food too quickly, soda pop, etc.), avoid these items in the future.

That said, I have two tricks that seem to help the gas along.

1. A post-op hospital nurse gave me one - stand up, take your right hand and begin massaging your large intestinal tract. Begin at the bottom right and work you way up, putting gentle pressure on your tract/abdomen as you go up. Then cross over, pushing down on the right and encouraging any gas along the tract as you move your hand. When you get to that curve on the left side, go around and then down. And out. At first I thought her suggestion wouldn't work but I have used it countless times. Maybe it's more mental than physical but the massaging and pressure, really do seem to help. I also visualize the gas moving along (which is more mental but it also helps calm my nerves).

2. The other trick is to walk up and down a full flight of stairs. Just that up and down motion and gravity working in your favor, seems to dislodge gas that might be stuck somewhere along the tract. And sometimes it helps me burp up the gas. I don't care which end it is released from, as long as I can get it out!

It just makes me incredibly nervous, im worried i have a knot in my intestines or that it's dying, or that it's stuck, or something, and that i'll die in my sleep or something. :( I am very anxious... it sucks. But perhaps if it was soemnthing super serious, it could not have lasted for weeks? :I

Oh no. You are not alone in this struggle. The way my wacky GI tract behaves, I feel as though I'm living that sci-fi movie - Alien - and any minute I'm going to give birth to it!

No foolin'.......

What's funny is if people hear my gut rolling and making all these noises, they assume I'm just hungry. And because it's usually polite to just say that's what it is, I let them think that! LOL!

Yeah, like food's gonna fix all the problems.....

But yes, other people have this problem. What works for one person doesn't work for another. It's more or less a lot of trial and error. If you find what works for you, remember it! Write it down so you can use this remedy next time you feel this way.Marsky/Mary's story.....- Diagnosed with rectal cancer, April 1999 - Stage I, no treatment necessary(5 hour colon resection: 90% sigmoid removed, 15 inches of colon removed, gall bladder removed, given temporary colostomy)- Colostomy reversal, June 1999- Left with IBS/D symptoms, multiple bm's every day- On a low residue diet at least 75% of the time- Takes Colace 50 mg each evening

All in all I do okay, I just use the bathroom A LOT! But I survived and beat cancer!